Bookclub Wednesday!

Submitted by AutoModerator t3_yqgxqb in history

Hi everybody,

Welcome to our weekly book recommendation thread!

We have found that a lot of people come to this sub to ask for books about history or sources on certain topics. Others make posts about a book they themselves have read and want to share their thoughts about it with the rest of the sub.

We thought it would be a good idea to try and bundle these posts together a bit. One big weekly post where everybody can ask for books or (re)sources on any historic subject or timeperiod, or to share books they recently discovered or read. Giving opinions or asking about their factuality is encouraged!

Of course it’s not limited to *just* books; podcasts, videos, etc. are also welcome. As a reminder, r/history also has a recommended list of things to [read, listen to or watch](https://www.reddit.com/r/history/wiki/recommendedlist)

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dropbear123 t1_ivpo13r wrote

Finished Fracture: Life and Culture in the West, 1918-1938 by Philipp Blom review copied and pasted

>4.5/5 rounding up for Goodreads. I really liked it and would recommend it to anyone interested in the interwar period. I also liked it a lot more than Blom's earlier book The Vertigo Years: Europe 1900-1914 as it has more politics. Possibly one of the better history books I've read in 2022.

>The basic style of the book is that each year is a chapter and an event from that year is used to talk about and analyze a specific theme across the whole period. So 1918 is the end of WWI so the chapter is a lot about trauma, the impact of so many dead or crippled and the feeling of a 'lost generation' which affected the whole period, 1920 uses the beginning of prohibition to talk about prohibition across the whole 20s and its impact on morality etc. It's not an 'X happened then Y happened' sort of book. There is a good mix of cultural, scientific (the Scopes Monkey trial about teaching evolution in 1925 for example), ideological (1919 chapter starts with D'Annunzio's capture of Fiume so it is about the beginning of fascist movements and other conservative views like Spengler's Decline of the West) and political topics. The author is good at bringing the cultural and scientific topics back to how people felt politically and how they responded to the changes of the 20s and 30s. Morality and the reaction to the new movements, arts and lifestyles get a lot of mention in the book. .There isn't really anything about international politics between countries, aside from the 1937 chapter on the Spanish Civil War but I like the focus on the other stuff for a change. Despite the title saying it is focused on the west there is still quite a bit on the Soviet Union, with the 1921 Kronstadt rebellion (the theme is failed leftwing or worker uprisings, Germany's communist March Action and the USA's Battle of Blair Mountain is also mentioned), the beginning of the 5 year plans (mainly focused around the founding of the steel plant at Magnitogorsk) and the holodomor. The writing style is very good and the descriptions/depictions are also very good for things like the Dust Bowl in the USA.

Now for a shorter military history book - They Shall Not Pass: The French Army on the Western Front 1914-1918 by Ian Sumner. Mostly focusing on the soldier's personal experiences. Enjoying it so far and have finished the chapter on 1914.

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WhoPaul t1_ivoyl57 wrote

Any good books on the history of the automotive industry and maybe how it links to society? Preferably in a not-usa context. Currently enjoying Cars for Comrades by Lewis Siegelbaum and also Michael Edwards’ biography Back From The Brink.

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ideonode t1_ivpbvec wrote

Tom Standage recently wrote a book called A Brief History of Motion. This covers, broadly, our attempte to travel fast on wheels, ranging from the earliest carts and chariots through to self driving vehicles. It has a particular focus on cars, and in particular, the social aspects of automobiles. Highly recommended.

Being honest, Standage is an excellent writer of narratives on the social history of technology. I recommend all that he's written.

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elmonoenano t1_ivpnz3f wrote

You might be interested in The High and the Mighty. It's more recent, about the boom in SUVs at the end of the 90s. It came out right before gas prices spiked in the mid 2000s. It ends with a bunch of questions that kind of got delayed b/c of the high gas prices, but are relevant again.

The part you might like about it is it looks at how the design eased insecurities in society and played into certain ideas of toughness/ruggedness but also sort of addressed women's desires that had been ignored up until then that were positive in one way, but still used safety standards that basically ignored women and had negative impacts in other ways.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/832299.High_and_Mighty

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elmonoenano t1_ivpu6m4 wrote

I'm reading The Company right now by Stephen Brown. Someone on one of these threads recommended it a while ago. It's about the Hudson Bay Company and it's really interesting to see how exploration of the interior of the continent took place, how trade networks operated and changed, and how indigenous culture adapted to the changing economic situation. I think if you're at all curious about Canadian or Western US history then this is a great read.

I think Brown is a pretty good writer and the book is very engaging. He raises some good comparisons with modern society and asks some interesting questions about how cultures interact.

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RedPninety t1_ivqsdwl wrote

I finished Walter Stahr's biography of Salmon Chase, Lincoln's treasury secretary.

Chase was a leading lawyer in Ohio for African American rights in the 1840s. He followed this up by being a senator, governor, Treasury secretary and finally serving in the supreme court in his last years. Worth a read if you have an interest in figures from the civil war era

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elmonoenano t1_ivu3i5u wrote

I love his biographies. I've got this one sitting in my TBR pile, but the one on Stanton and Seward were great.

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Tiny-Bus-3820 t1_ivxxa3s wrote

I have read Stahr’s biography of William Seward…it’s an interesting read about an under appreciated and under estimated man.

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Nenechihusband t1_iw0mvnk wrote

His bio for John Jay was solid too

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RedPninety t1_iw0zwik wrote

I've got his bio of Stanton, but all the ones of Jay seem to be pretty expensive when I glance around

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Original-Fire-No1 t1_ivs7b5y wrote

I have thoroughly been enjoying The Psychology of Totalitarianism by Mattias Desmet. He outlines the process of how a branch of western science develope into a belief system and how it's victory over academia has created a culture of manipulated data and invalid research. 72% of researchers surveyed were willing to distort their data. 50% of anonymously surveyed academics admitted to sometimes presenting their research with bias. This has led to a crisis with up to 60% of cancer research and 85% of clinical biomedical research failed to duplicate results when the product is put into circulation. He starts at the enlightenment and discusses the loss of meaning in work during the industrial revolution as well as how technology has created an intersection of mindsets that have bred totalitarian thinking. A great read on historical developments leading to strong consequences today.

https://www.amazon.com/Audible-The-Psychology-of-Totalitarianism/dp/B0B2KRLPY2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1EO15NH4SOY9Q&keywords=the+psychology+of+totalitarianism+mattias+desmet&qid=1668057589&sprefix=the+psychology+of+tot%2Caps%2C246&sr=8-1

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D4rkWulf t1_ivo9sr3 wrote

Been wanting to do some research on Neolithic Society on social aspects, relationships, living conditions and distribution of function/work.

Got "Inside the Neolithic Mind" ready to be read as I'm getting through 'Evolution of Desire' by David M. Buss, but I'm always open to other recommendations!

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ImOnlyHereCauseGME t1_ivor0qt wrote

I don’t have any recommendations (sorry) but wanted to ask your opinion on the Evolution of Desire so far, that sounds very interesting and I’m thinking I’ll check it out

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D4rkWulf t1_ivot475 wrote

It has been a very good read so far. The problem with most research papers and books for me is the amount of gibberish that requires half a PHD just to understand, but Buss tells it in a manner that makes it easy to understand. The only downside I'd say is that he uses a lot of extensive examples to showcase the same problem from different angles (which has benefits at times, but can also makes reading slower).

The only thing I'd say before reading it is to be ready to be faced with some uncomfortable truths. He displays a lot of statistical results and conclusions without trying to insert his own opinion. Therefore you have entire sections dedicated to e.g. the practical uses of infidelity. I am yet to read the chapter 'Sexual Conflict' which might be worse, but at least it's honest.

It personally gave a lot of insight in my own behavior, explained the behavior I've observed in some others and clears the fog on some controversial topics regarding attraction between genders.

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ImOnlyHereCauseGME t1_ivp7y54 wrote

Sounds like a fascinating mix of history, anthropology and psychology, I’ll add it to my reading list! Thanks for the suggestion!

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McGillis_is_a_Char t1_ivpd2bw wrote

Does anyone know a good book about the diplomacy, spying, and double dealing going on in the Renaissance Mediterranean. Preferably something that talks about the Italian city-states' relationship with the Ottoman Empire.

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Stalins_Moustachio t1_ivo8q35 wrote

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Finally got around to finishing Fernando Bouza's The Iberian World: 1450–1820, and I highly recommend it. The book does an excellent job at providing an invaluable and detailed snapshot of Iberian socio-economic, political, colonial, and religious life during a critical period in global history!

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acrazypsychnurse t1_ivoadsi wrote

The Discoverers, Daniel Boorstin along with its companions The Creators and The Seekers are must read for anyone wanting to grasp the broad sweep of history ... and some really interesting details

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ImOnlyHereCauseGME t1_ivoqhwm wrote

Any good book recommendations on the Roman expansion efforts into Germany? Specifically looking for something on the Battle of Teutoburg Forest and the aftermath of that. I am not as familiar with Roman history as I’d like to admit so I’d like something less academic if possible and more of an overview/layman’s explanation of the events leading up to and resulting from the battle.

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Tiny-Bus-3820 t1_ivxdm4w wrote

Like you, I am interested in the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. Here is two recommendations: The Battle that Stopped Rome by Peter Wells and Give Me Back My Legions: A Novel of Ancient Rome by Harry Turtledove. Wells offers a good overview, while Turtledove offers an an interesting fictional look at the relationship between Varus and Arminius that was so pivotal in Rome’s greatest defeat. Also Turtledove’s book is NOT part of a historical fiction series so you are not required to buy a ton of books. Hope you enjoy the books!!

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Rusty_Junkie_Rat t1_ivpvusu wrote

I want to learn about the history of Georgia after gaining independence from USSR and what kind of situation Georgia was in back then, bonus points if the book talks about Zviad Gamsakhurdia and his time as president

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Shellion t1_ivsacls wrote

I was trying to remember a book from college about a woman in the gulag. Does Journey Into the Whirlwind by Eugenia Ginzburg sound familiar to anybody? I had to go back into old photos of me reading it to get a portion of the title. I just remember it being very informative and detailed.

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vanvalec t1_ivwd889 wrote

Has anyone read S.F Platonov's 'Time of Troubles' translated by translated by John Alexander, can you tell me anything in terms of its readability and accuracy? If it's not good, any other book recommendations on the Time of Troubles? Chester Dunning has one too which is a bit on the long side for me but if anyone can vouch for this I might check it out.

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Doubelo7 t1_iwagliv wrote

I’ve started reading Montefiore’s “Stalin, Court Of The Red Tsar” and am finding it really difficult to understand / keep up. A lot of names, nicknames, the first few chapters breeze through the war, revolution, Stalin’s rise to power, and it’s hard to understand how the early govt worked. I’ve picked it up about 6 months ago and have restarted the book a few times already.

Is this topic just that confusing or is it me? Is there maybe something else I can read beforehand? I’ve done some research on that early govt on the side and the kind of helped, but the book’s still a bit tough.

Thank you for your help!

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pulpogigante t1_iwo2jkh wrote

I think even Montefiore himself would probably agree with your assessment, as he later wrote a "prequel" of sorts called Young Stalin. This covers more of the war and lead up to revolution. Perhaps it would be better to read that first? I'm in the opposite position as I've not yet read The Court of the Red Tsar.

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Doubelo7 t1_iwvvtv7 wrote

Good suggestion! Didn’t realize he had a prequel so thank you for that. I’ve read a bit further and with the help of the included list of characters I’m able to start understanding now. The switching between nicknames, first names, and surnames for the same character threw me off a lot but it’s coming together now. Definitely reading the prequel next, should’ve started with that.

Understanding the way the old Tsarist and then the Bolshevik govt works also helped a ton. Spent a few days reading about that and the power struggles start to make more sense now.

Thank you!

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Plenty_Marzipan_4477 t1_iwbcr49 wrote

There are many historical books written by amateur historians. Does it affect your choice to pick it up if the author doesn't have the qualifications likea PhD in history or something

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Froakiebloke t1_iwgab3m wrote

It does affect my choice, not because amateurs cannot write good serious history- more that good qualifications can be considered as a guarantee that someone knows what they’re talking about. But there are plenty of other things one can look at for the same purpose- reviews by those with good credentials, history writing awards, etc.

As an example, I recently bought a book about the American Civil War- James Oakes’ ‘Freedom National’. This isn’t a topic I know well, and I didn’t recognise the name of the author nor the name of the university they work at. Their book is making a provocative argument. All that makes me quite wary- this book could be garbage! But when I look into it I find that this book was nominated for an award, and received good reviews from some of the biggest names in that field. That reassures me- even if I find that I disagree with the arguments made in the book, I have good reason to believe that it’s legitimate scholarship.

So generally I want to find some indication that an author knows what they’re talking about before buying or reading a book. But qualifications are only one of many possible indications.

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BanBreaking t1_iwfl56i wrote

So I am preparing for the Turkish ministry of foreign affairs exam. im looking for books about European/middle eastern/US-Turkish relations and history.

also anything you'd reccomend that you consider to be essential? the exam is an interview.

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onisamsha t1_iwhhjl6 wrote

Any recommendations for works about USN military divers in the Vietnam Era? My Father-in-Law who passed before I met my wife served two tours as a diver and im interested in what his service was like. All I ever here are the few larger than life stories he passed down like catching a 15 ft tiger shark with hotdogs for bait off the back of a minesweeper.

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ACAB_FOR_CUTIE_ t1_iwhn4jq wrote

Recs for books on ancient Egypt? I'm going on a trip there in March + Nile Cruise and I'd like to learn more about the history of what I'll be seeing.

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thebeef24 t1_iwhzgxg wrote

Can anyone recommend some good English language books on European exploration of Africa and beyond during the 1400s and 1500s? I realized that while I'm aware in general of Henry the Navigator and the related period of exploration, I know very little in the way of specifics. I'm hoping to find something that could cover the exploration of the African coast and early ventures in India and SE Asia. In other words, early European exploration that isnt focused on the Americas, and in particular any details possible on exploration prior to 1492.

Videos or podcasts would also be welcome, if anyone has suggestions.

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ISISsleeperagent t1_iwjmx3n wrote

Anyone know of a good audiobook on the Soviet theater in WWII? I'm looking for something that goes in depth on operations of specific battles and/or the politics in Moscow.

I'd love to listen to a 50+ hour series like Ian Toll's trilogy on the war in the Pacific but haven't been able to find one

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